The invention relates to the field of antitheft devices intended to protect articles sold over the counter. The most widespread solution for protecting the articles is indisputably the system consisting of electronic walk-through scanner with associated labelling.
These labels use devices provided with a means interacting with a walk-through scanner equipping the exit zones beyond the tills, and triggering an alarm when a customer attempts to leave the shop without having paid for the article to which the antitheft device is fixed.
The checkout girl has an opener for removing the device from the article when passing the till.
The antitheft devices are configured according to the shape and nature of the article to be protected. The present invention relates more particularly to antitheft devices intended to protect garments such as shoes, leather goods, fabrics, fashion accessories, undergarments, etc, without this list being limiting.
For this type of article, providing an antitheft device formed by two parts is known in the prior art. One of the parts has a tip that can pass through a hole in the article or perforate a fabric. This tip comes to be housed in a cavity provided on the complementary part that provides locking thereof. In this case, the locking of the tip prevents the unlocking of the antitheft device. This cavity comprises a locking system that holds the tip firmly when it is engaged in the second part. Release thereof is possible only with a specific opener.
The American patent application US 2006/070410 is known in particular, describing an antitheft device consisting of two articulated elements that are clamped together removably around a tubular article intended to be protected. One of the elements is extended at its end by a needle, the other element being provided with a housing comprising means for locking the end of the needle when the two elements are in the closed position.
The international patent application WO 0129354 is also known, describing a rivet for a security label, formed by a hollow housing comprising a head extended by a needle able to move between a position retracted inside the housing and a deployed position, this assembly being separable from the security label.
The patent WO 2006/106536 is also known, describing an antitheft security label comprising a first closure element provided with a nail, and a second closure element provided with means for gripping said nail. The label has a housing for receiving the nail, formed by a cylindrical seat. A sealing ring protects the end of the nail in the retracted position.
The patent application WO 2012/020105 describes an antitheft device of the type with a pin and a plate for holding the pin, comprising a head that supports a spindle. The head and plate are suitable for enclosing between them, like a sandwich, part of a garment article that has the pin passing through it. The head comprises a cap intended to protect the pin, which may be extended reversibly by elastic means from a configuration for engagement of the pin, with the protective cap substantially retracted in the head, into a configuration for disengaging the pin, with the protective cap extending from the head so as to surround the pin as far as the end of its tip.
The patent EP 00702040 is also known, describing a detector for protecting against the theft of articles, comprising an alarm circuit electrically connected to one end of at least one conductor and to the other end of the conductor by the mechanical putting in contact of a female element and a male element passing through the article to be protected.
The male element is a needle that is electrically conductive and conical over its entire length and said female element is formed by a housing, the cover of which comprises a hole and in which an electrically insulating plate comprises a hole in the same axis as the hole and with a diameter slightly greater than the largest diameter of the needle. The end of the conductor being connected to a contact point of the plate. The other end of the conductor is connected to a second contact point of the plate by the needle and two electrically-conductive wires fixed tangentially to the plate so as to be put in mechanical and electrical contact with the needle when it penetrates the holes.
The solutions of the prior art are not fully satisfactory.
The first drawback is that the tip intended to pass through the article to be protected is invasive and may injure the user when fitting the device on an article or removing it, in particular in the case where the tip fits flush with the surface of the device in the open position.
The second drawback, for some solutions, is that the tip follows a curved path in which it is facing the reception orifice only when the arms are properly positioned. The least lateral force prevents the tip penetrating the reception orifice.
The third drawback is that these solutions of the prior art are limited to one type of article and do not have flexibility for more universal use, for articles with a different thickness or configuration.
A fourth drawback is the vulnerability of the device of the prior art in the event of abrupt impact on the device. In this case, it is usual for the locking means to release the needle in an unwanted fashion, which enables a thief to remove the device and thus defeat the alarm device which is provided in the shop.